Mine conveyance locating mechanism



July 19, 1966 M. J. MCINTOSH MINE CONVEYANCE LOGATING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 51, 1964 A A R. I/II/w 4/ WWW FIG. I

FIG. 3

NVENT R- Meflvyd Jom/ M Iw-osn MJW FIG. 2 ATV,

United States Patent 3,261,428 MINE CONVEYANCE LOCATING MECHANISM Mervyn J. McIntosh, Stilfontein, Transvaal, Republic of South Africa, assignor to Anglo-Transvaal Consolidated Investment Company Limited, Johannesburg, Transvaal, Republic of South Africa Filed Aug. 31, 1964, Ser. No. 393,104 Claims priority, application Republic of South Africa, Sept. 6, 1963, Ser. No. 63/4,!)49 4 Claims. (Cl. 18735) This invention relates to a mechanism for locating a mine conveyance, either cage or skip, at stations down the depth of a mine shaft.

Where loaded conveyances are used down mine shafts particularly in deep level mines of over 5000 feet the load transported causes stretch in the rope cables on which the conveyances are suspended. This variation of rope length causes difiiculties in the loading and unloading of the conveyance. These conditions are aggravated with increasing shaft depth. The use of rigid keps without a suitable electrical device to prevent slack rope is dangerous.

It is the object of this invention to provide a mechanism which will enable a mine shaft conveyance to be kept stationary during loading and unloading operations while ensuring that dangerous conditions of slack rope do not arise during such operations.

According to this invention there is provided a mine shaft conveyance locating device comprising a kep hook and rope suspended from a pin held in a supporting frame and normally out of contact with the supporting frame, an electrical switch actuator carried by the pin and an electrical switch on the supporting frame in the path of the actuator and in circuit with electrically operated means which when energised will prevent more than a predetermined rotation of the conveyance winding mechanism.

A further feature of this invention provides for the electrically operated means to be a known slack rope control device.

A preferred form of this invention will be described with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates the operative position of the conveyance locator,

FIG. 2 an enlarged view of the kep hook assembly, and

FIG. 3 a preferred type of slack rope prevention device.

The following description below is confined for simplicity to a single conveyance at a single station but it will be understood that a position locator as described will be arranged at each station in the shaft and for each conveyance.

Each locator indicated generally by numeral 1 consists of a draw bar pin 2 supported in a spring 3 in a supporting frame 4 which may conveniently take the form of a pair of rigid channels 5 mounted back to back with a space between them and between the shaft station king posts in any convenient manner. A ring 7 is positioned across the space 8 between the channel 5 and is bolted to the latter. The draw bar pin 2 is threaded through the spring 3 and the ring 7 and a clevis 9 is screwed onto the bottom end 10 of the pin 2 and locked with a suitable locking nut 11.

A wire kep rope 12 is attached to the draw bar pin 2 by providing a thimble on the end of the rope 12 which is then located and retained by a clevis pin 13.

A standard kep hook 14 is attached to the other end of the rope.

A small plate 15 is secured to the head of the draw bar pin and acts as an actuator for a micro-switch 16 positioned on the ring 7. The spring 3 is designed to hold the actuator 15 out of contact with the switch 16 and support the weight of the kep hook 14, rope 12 and pin with 3,261,428 Patented July 19, 1966 shoulder 17 on the pin 2 a small distance, say about A" above the ring 7. The design also allows a small load on kep hook 14 to bring the shoulder 17 of the pin 2 onto the ring 7 and to cause the actuator 15 to close the microswitch 16.

The microswitch 16 is connected in circuit to energise an electrical circuit controlling a slack rope prevention device of known type.

This slack rope prevention device is preferably of the type diagrammatically set out in FIG. 3.

The device consists of a cam 18 coupled through a magnetic clutch 19 and gearing 20 to the winding drum shaft 21. The electrical power leads 22 for the magnetic clutch are connected through the microswitch 16. The normal operation of the device is that as the conveyance is lowered onto the kep hook 14 the microswitch 16 is operated to cause engagement of the clutch 19 while simultaneously the drivers indicating light 23 is illuminated. Should the winder drum rotate for any reason, so as to tend to lower the conveyance then rotation of the winding drum in this direction will cause rotation of the cam 18 until this cam operates a microswitch 24 in the safety circuit indicated by 25 for the winding apparatus to halt the drum and apply the winder brakes.

Where the conveyance is raised it will release the kep hook 14, opening the contacts of microswitch .16 thereby releasing clutch 19 so that rotation of the winder drum will no longer rotate the cam 18 and consequently trip switch 24 will not be operated and the winder will function normally.

The magnetic clutch '19 will include suitable spring or other means 26 which will ensure that the cam 18 returns to the neutral position as soon as clutch 1 9 is de-energised.

The above description of the slack rope prevention device is one form of device suitable for operation with the conveyance locating mechanism in accordance with this invention but it will be understood that other suitable known electrically operated slack rope prevention devices may be used.

With this invention the micro-switch 1-6 associated with each kep hook assembly is connected into the slack rope prevention device so that once one of these switches is closed excessive movement of the winding drum to lower the conveyance 27 (FIG. 1) will cause alarm to be given and full braking to be applied to the winding gear.

In use for lowering a load the sequence of operations is as follows: The loaded conveyance 27 is lowered to the loaded conveyance kep engaging position above the particular station level as indicated to the winding gear driver by the markings on the normal dial and drums associated with the winding gear. The kep hook 14 is then engaged and the kep engaged lower slowly signals given to the driver through standard signalling equipment. The driver then lowers the conveyance rope a predetermined distance.

With the conveyance 27 supported on the kep the stretch in the rope is relieved by the latter operation and the conveyance may be unloaded.

Should the driver inadvertently overrun the dial markings when the conveyance 27 is supported by the hook 14 the winding gear will be controlled by the slack rope prevention device since engagement of the conveyance on the kep hook 14 will cause closure of the micro-switch 16 and bring the slack rope prevention device into operation.

Once the load has been removed the onsetter signals the driver to raise the conveyance up slowly and disengages the kep hook 14.

For raising a load the conveyance 27 is lowered to the empty conveyance kep engaging position above the particular station level as indicated to the winding gear driver by the markings on the dial and drums associated with the winding gear. The kep hook .14 is then engaged and the necessary kep engaged lower slowly signals given to the driver. The driver then lowers the conveyance rope a predetermined distance.

When loading is completed the onsetter signals the driver to raise the conveyance slowly and disengages the kep hook 14.

It will be appreciated that the arrangement as above described prevents the occurrence of dangerous slack rope conditions, and facilitates loading and unloading of conveyance particularly in deep shafts where conveyance rope stretch can become substantial and cause undesirable loading conditions.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A mine shaft conveyance locating device in combination with a conveyance having a path of movement, a winding mechanism for said conveyance including a safety circuit and switch therefor, said locating device including an electrical means controlling said switch including a slack rope prevention device, and comprising a kep hook positioned in said path of said conveyance, a movable anchor pin from which the kep hook is suspended, a supporting frame for the pin and means supporting the pin normally out of contact therewith, an electrical switch actuator carried by the pin and an electrical switch in the path of the actuator and in circuit with said electrical means which, when energised will prevent more than a predetermined rotation of the conveyance winding mechanism.

2. A mine shaft conveyance locating device in combination with a winding mechanism for said conveyance as defined in claim 1 wherein said locating device includes, a cam operated switch in said safety circuit, a magnetic clutch and gearing coupled to the shaft of the drum of the winding mechanism and a cam for actuating said switch mounted on the magnetic clutch with said clutch connected to be energised through the switch in the path of the actuator carried by the pin.

3. A mine shaft conveyance locating device in combination with a conveyance having a path of movement, a winding mechanism for said conveyance including a safety circuit and switch therefor, said locating device including an electrical means controlling said switch including a slack rope prevention device, and comprising a kep hook positioned in said path of said conveyance, a rope therefor, a movable anchor pin from which the kep hook is suspended, a supporting frame and associated compression spring for supporting said pin normally out of contact with the frame, a clevis on the end of said pin to which the rope is attached, an electrical switch actuator carried by the pin and an electrical switch in the path of the actuator and in circuit with said electrical means which, when energised will prevent more than a predetermined rotation of the conveyance winding mechanism.

4. A mine shaft conveyance locating device in combination with a winding mechanism of said conveyance as claimed in claim 3 wherein the supporting frame is in the form of a pair of rigid channels mounted back to back with the pin between them and is secured in the operative position between king posts of a shaft station.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner. 

1. A MINE SHAFT CONVEYANCE LOCATING DEVICE IN COMBINATION WITH A CONVEYANCE HAVING A PATH OF MOVEMENT, A WINDING MECHANISM FOR SAID CONVEYANCE INCLUDING A SAFETY CIRCUIT AND SWITCH THEREFOR, SAID LOCATING DEVICE INCLUDING AN ELECTRICAL MEANS CONTROLLING SAID SWITCH INCLUDING A SLACK ROPE PREVENTION DEVICE, AND COMPRISING A KEP HOOK POSITIONED IN SAID PATH OF SAID CONVEYANE, A MOVABLE ANCHOR PIN FROM WHITH THE KEP HOOK IS SUSPENDED, A SUPPORTING FRAME FOR THE PIN AND MEANS SUPPORTING THE PIN NORMALLY OUT OF CONTACT THEREWITH, AN ELECTRICAL SWITCH ACTUATOR CARRIED BY THE PIN AND AN ELECTRICAL SWITCH IN THE PATH OF THE ACTUATOR AND IN CIRCUIT WITH SAID ELECTRICAL MEANS WHICH, WHEN ENERGIZED WILL PREVENT MORE THAN A PREDETERMINED ROTATION OF THE CONVEYANCE WINDING MECHANISM. 